Improvement in car-couplings



H. F. McKERVEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

PatentedNov. 2,1875.

UNITED .[STATES PATENrOFFIoE.

HUGH F. MGKERVEY, OF oHEBoYeAN, MICHIGAN, AssieNoR To HIM-SELF, ANGUSMGKAY, AND CHARLES s. BAMSAY, or SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,563, dated November2, 1875 application filed May '4, 1875.

first, to the construction and arrangement whereby the coupling-bar isconnected with a pivoted counter-weight, and by it maintained in suchposition that lateral arms or shoulders formed on its middle portionwill remain engaged with hooks or shoulders formed on the front end ofthe same draw-head which contains the counter-weight. Theinvention-consists, secondly, in the arrangement of a slidin g bar insuch relation to the counter-weight, pivoted within the chamber of thedraw'head, that the latter may be thereby raised or turned on its pivotsand locked or held in its elevated position by the slide-bar projectingunder it, as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of draw-heads coupled. Fig. 2is an elevation of the inner face of one-half a draw-head, with theharpoon and weight in position. Fig. 3 is a similar elevation of theother half without the harpoon. Fig. 4 is a cross-section at a: m. Fig.5 is a detachedperspective view of the counter-weight. Fig. 6 is asimilar view. of the harpoon. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section aty y.

In the drawing, A represents the draw head, which is made in two equalparts, placed side by side, and secured together by bolts a, passingtransversely through them. The front end of each half of the draw-headis shaped to form a hook, A, with a space between the inner ends orbarbs of the hooks, behind which there is an enlarged recess, open attop and bottom. The hooks. project above andbelow the top and bottomplanes of the draw-head, and form the buffers thereof. In the body ofeach half of the draw-head there is formed a recess, A with a step, b,at the rear end, and a bearing, 0, at the front end, leading through tothe cavity behind the hooks. B is a counter-weight, having a trunnion,b, at the rear end, and another one, 0', at the front end,whichtrunnions are laid in the bearings b 0 before the halves of thedraw-head are bolted together. In the front end of the trunnion 0 thereis a square socket, d, which receives a shank, d, at the rear end of aharpoon, 0, having a shoulder, 0, next said shank, which is journaled inthe fore part of the bearing a, which is enlarged to receive it. Theenlargement of said bear-' ing forms a shoulder, which receives thebackward thrust of the harpoon. The harpoon has a flat head, f, whoseedges are spirally beveled, and there is also a pin-hole, 9, through it.In

' front of the shoulder 0 two flat-sided arms, h,

are forged on it. The shank d is inserted in the socket of thecounter-weight, so that the arms h it will lie horizontally and bearrested by the hooks, while the harpoon-head, when engaged with anopposing draw-head, will take the draft of the latter. Thecounter-weight, being hung eccentrically, will normally keep the harpoonin the position described, and, on its entering between two hooks of anapproaching draw-head, the spiral head will give it an axialquarter-turn, throwing up the weight to a horizontal plane with itstrunnions, until the harpoon has passed behind the hooks, when theweight will turn the harpoon to its normal position again.

The pin-hole is designed to couple the harpoon with an ordinarydraw-head. I

The harpoon can be detached by giving it and the weight a quarter-turnand withdrawing it.

To uncouple, a slot, 6, is made in the side of the lower part of thedraw-head, in which a plate, D, is inserted, which plate may be operated by any suitable lever, E, either on the side of the draw-head orside of the car, by pushing it in against the lower part of thecounter-weight, which it turns on its trunnions to the uncouplingposition.

The vertically-elongated hooks enable cars of different heights to becoupled, while the a Q i 169,563

vided with shankdQvlateral arms h h, and flatv ing said counter-Weightand holding it in an headifivaill as shown and described, tooperateelevated position, as shown anddescribedfl'ol? as" specified; v thepurpose specified.

2. In combination with the coupling-barO,

constructed as described, and the end piv0ted HUGH F. MGKERVEY. swingingcounter-weight B, arranged within -Witnesses:

' thechamber of'thed'raw-head, thehorizontal OLIVER SPOONEE: slottedslideD and vertical lever E; for rais= GEORGE WILSON.

